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Being Thankful

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Detail of a Raccoon in Progress, 8" x 10", Sepia watercolor on board, ©Rebecca LathamDetail of a Raccoon in Progress, 8″ x 10″, Sepia watercolor on board, ©Rebecca Latham

For everyone in the US, or celebrating the holiday, happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. For others in various parts of the world, Christmas and other holidays and festivities filled with family and friends are drifting closer.  I hope everyone reading had the pleasure of loved ones near for the occasion (or plans to do so in the near future).

Though I have thought about this post for some time, I never pulled up my blogging software and started writing.  There are many things to be thankful for.. I am so grateful.

If I were to make a list, as I have a few times before, I would be sure to include my supportive and talented family and friends, for so many people that are moved by what I do that I have never met, the amazing people I have the opportunity to work with, freedoms to live, learn, improve, and work as I do.  But this time I have a little more to be thankful for.

Earlier this year, my sister was given “maintenance” status. It sounds mundane, but for us it was (and is) something worth holding an event for. After being unexpectedly diagnosed 2 years ago in 2011, just after Thanksgiving, with a rare condition that threatened her life.

After an extra large helping of chaos and many surgeries (and fried many many nerves) later, she is feeling better day by day, painting again, and has medical experts at the Mayo clinic keeping an eye on things for her so hopefully everything continues running smoothly.

I can’t say that things are perfect, but I’m blessed that they are as well as they are.

As someone from one of my galleries noted the other day, when you want to know how rich you are, list the things you have that money can’t buy. They are even more precious when you face a moment of losing something or someone irreplaceable.

So to all of you, thank you.  May all of you be showered with priceless riches.

“Here is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished.  If you’re alive, it isn’t.” ~ Richard Bach

 

Getting Colder..

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Remmie the studio cat and art critic

It’s been getting a little chilly here in Minnesota.. Remmie the studio cat agrees.  His new favorite place to snuggle is in the drawer next to the warm laptop.

The cat may have been lounging around lately, but things have been busy in the studio for those not of the feline variety.. Many deadlines coming up, shows being planned for 2014 already (wow, time flies!), and I have been busy trying to finish up work for galleries needing new collections to replace sold pieces.

I hope all has been going well for all of you!

Iris Collection

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Iris Collection - all works are 5in x 7in, watercolor on board, ©Rebecca Latham

Iris Collection – all works are 5in x 7in, watercolor on board, ©Rebecca Latham

This collection was inspired from a garden center I visit.  I had never seen such a buttery color to irises, and they immediately became one of my favorites.  The evening sun added to their beauty, with their petals reminding me of semi-opaque stained glass windows.

Unlike most of my work, I did not do a sepia underpainting in these pieces.  I wanted to achieve the softness I was drawn to, so though the leaves and stems were given boldness in dark muted green, the flowers themselves were left, and as the paintings progressed, they were delicately mottled in.

How Long Did It Take You To Paint That?

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  Squirrel Collection - all works are 5in x 7in, watercolor on board with sterling silver, ©Rebecca Latham Squirrel Collection – all works are 5in x 7in, watercolor on board with sterling silver, ©Rebecca Latham

I am asked this question rather often:

How long do you work on a painting?  How long did it take you to paint that?

I stop and think.

I try to give an abbreviated answer, saying it can be a few days or months depending on how complex, and cooperative, a painting is.  ..but really it’s a guess.

Sometimes I can recall starting the painting, sometimes not. Sometimes the painting was a struggle the whole way through, like attempting to tame a snarling wild animal (which occasionally are released to find their own way in the wild, ie, in the recycle bin).  Some seem to have a permanent home in the back of my closet.  Others are a breeze and almost paint themselves.

One of my teachers answered rather perfectly:

“People often ask how long it takes me to do a painting. The answer is, I don’t know. I work on five to fifteen at once. I like them when I first start them, then they always get worse so I start a new one to cheer me up. By the time the fifth one looks really awful to me, the first one doesn’t look quite as bad, and a new idea about it may have come along so I can work on it for a while. One took me about six years off and on!”

That is precisely how it is.  ..with the addition of having the vision of a painting that just pops in your head and you know it must be painted before you lose it.  So you start another before it escapes.

I confess, I have paintings in my studio that I started years and years ago.  As I write this in my studio, I have stacks and piles of them sitting around me, propped on easels or leaning on shelves.  Some of them sit together in little bins or my vertical art storage system.

Unlike my teacher, I have around 125 of them the last time I bothered to count.  ..all sizes and shapes with many nearly done.  Some are sitting with their frames, some not.  ..but I am not quite happy with them.

They need a little fussing to correct a twig, rocks, feathers, or the eye on the left looks a little odd for some reason.  They might need a glaze, or two, and perhaps a corner needs finished off.  So they sit.  Staring at me.

In the past, I have tried other methods of working.  I would make one piece, maybe two, and work exclusively on those pieces.  Forcing myself.  ..or, rather, restraining myself.  I was not allowed to start another unless it was an emergency (like a gallery calling with a request that they need a painting of a red fox pronto).

I found that working one or two at a time made me work more slowly, and less creatively, oddly enough.  Though it was much easier to keep track of in-progress shots that I snapped of them as I worked, the actual paintings seemed to drag on as did the inspiration for them.

So, after a year or so of working in a more targeted manner, deciding that unfortunately this way of working just wasn’t for me, I switched back to my original methods of chaos and tried to find a rhythm in having so many balls in the air at one time.

Though I occasionally lose a random moose or songbird in the mass of arranged paintings, (sometimes causing frustration and sometimes leading to a pleasant surprise several months later when it resurfaces), I have accepted this way of working as what seems to fit my wiring.

It doesn’t, however, lend itself well to simple answers to “how long did that take you?” questions.

12th Annual IAA Animals and Wildlife Show, Texas

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  Curious Bandit - Raccoon, Watercolor on board with sterling silver and 24kt gold, ©Rebecca Latham

 Curious Bandit – Raccoon, watercolor on board with sterling silver and 24kt gold, 12 in x 12 in, ©Rebecca Latham

Pleased to be showing at this new venue and national exhibition put on by the Irving Art Association, Rebecca’s “Curious Bandit – Raccoon”, and “Skylord – Great Horned Owl” will debut at this national exhibition celebrating animals in art.  The show is a combination of their two animal-art exhibits joined as a single show (In 2012 the Wildlife Juried Art Competition was in its eleventh year, and the Unconditional Love: Pet Fine Art Juried in its fourth)

The exhibit is on show Sept. 2 – Sept. 27
Exhibit reception & awards, Sept. 15, 2-4pm
Jaycee Park Center for the Arts, Irving TX  http://irvingart.org

 

Skylord - Great Horned Owl, Watercolor on board with sterling silver and 24kt gold, 5 in x 7 in, ©Rebecca Latham

Skylord – Great Horned Owl, watercolor on board with sterling silver and 24kt gold, 5 in x 7 in, ©Rebecca Latham

 

Curious Bandit - Raccoon, Watercolor on board with sterling silver and 24kt gold, ©Rebecca Latham, framedSkylord - Great Horned Owl, Watercolor on board with sterling silver and 24kt gold, 5 in x 7 in, ©Rebecca Latham, framed

 

What is the largest size you would attempt to do when adding so much detail?

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Concentration - Cougar, 12 in x 15 in, ©Rebecca Latham, watercolor on boardConcentration – Cougar, 12 in x 15 in, ©Rebecca Latham, watercolor on board

 

A few weeks ago, someone asked a question concerning larger sized paintings.

What is the largest size you would attempt to do when adding so much detail?

The answer, simply be due to physical limitations, would be a maximum size of 30 in x 40 in.  The main reason being because that is the largest that I can order a board without custom request to the company.

I could go larger.  I presume I would only be limited by the machines’ sizes that make various brands of hotpress boards or papers.  However, it is very time consuming and labor intensive working large being that I strive to retain the usual level of intricate brush work no matter what the size of the piece.  Likewise, it also carries with it a great sense of accomplishment when it is finished.

I find the entire process to be a bit of a challenge.. because not only does one have to paint the intricacies of the animal, habitat, etc on a large surface area in fine detail while making sure all of it comes out evenly, which can be a more complex and difficult issue the larger a painting is (both physically and visually).  But also, of course, the painting must carry and have impact from across a room.

These larger works are a bit more difficult than small paintings for those reasons..

 

Flying South – Cinnamon Teal Arrive in Texas

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Water's Edge - Cinnamon Teal, 8in x 10in, watercolor on board, ©Rebecca Latham

Water’s Edge – Cinnamon Teal, 8in x 10in

watercolor on board, ©Rebecca Latham

This piece just arrived in Texas at Whistle Pik Galleries.  I noticed I hadn’t painted a lot of ducks recently, which was unfortunate.  They are beautiful and always have a good bit of personality that shows through nicely in a painting.  I especially enjoyed working with such a vibrant color combination with the Cinnamon Teal in this.  I had never painted this species before, so was interesting working with the rich colors of this unique bird.

Just Arrived: Pair of Works in Tulsa

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RLwolf13137 Resting on the Ledge - Young Wolf, 6in x 8in watercolor on board with sterling silver

Resting on the Ledge – Young Wolf, 6in x 8in

watercolor on board with sterling silver

I enjoyed watching this wolf on an overcast day as he played and explored.  After a great deal of activity, he slowed down and curled up on a stone ledge to rest – a perfect pose for a painting.  The overcast environment gave a rich calm feeling to the painting.

Comfy Spot - Raccoon, 5in x 7in watercolor on board with sterling silver

Comfy Spot – Raccoon, 5in x 7in

watercolor on board with sterling silver

I love painting raccoons.  Often, as this year, there are raccoon families roaming near the studio bringing their cubs up close in the evenings and at night.  ..often getting themselves into trouble.  This is a small painting of a young animal that, for the time being, was content in his hiding spot.

Both of these paintings are now available through Lovetts Gallery in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

New Collection Arriving..

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Evening Egret, 6in x 8in, watercolor on board with sterling silver and 24kt gold, ©Rebecca Latham

A new collection of works was just delivered to it’s premiere venue – here is a first peek at the paintings:

Evening Egret, 6in x 8in

watercolor on board with sterling silver & 24kt gold

A stunningly beautiful evening in a marsh as the sun was setting, all of the birds, insects, and other residents singing in chorus.. I sat watching egrets fishing for dinner.  Being obsessed with their activity, the didn’t mind me sitting a short distance away from them.

Slightly Shy – Wolf Puppy, 5in x 7in, watercolor on board with sterling silver and 24kt gold

Slightly Shy – Wolf Puppy, 5in x 7in

watercolor on board with sterling silver & 24kt gold

It has been a little while since I have painted a wolf pup.. this one was at the age where he no longer looks like a little bear cub..  He was incredibly curious and playful with his siblings, but for some moments, little unsure.  ..thus the title, Slightly Shy.

 

RLrabbit13139

Antisocial – Rabbit, 5in x 7in

watercolor on board with sterling silver & 24kt gold

This piece is a part of the previously posted rabbit collection.  After completing these rabbit pieces, I’ve seen more rabbits frequenting the area.. which is rather odd I thought.  ..but because of their visits, I have more planned rabbit paintings.  Perhaps they wanted to be painted..

This collection is having it’s debut in Nags Head, NC at Seaside Art Gallery.  Please click the thumbnails to view larger images of the paintings:

5 Reasons Why I Love Working With Watercolor

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Why do I love watercolor?

It is true, most people do not use watercolor in this way when they work.  Often I find that collectors are curious about my use of watercolors, why I use them, and how I stumbled upon what I do.  In earlier years, I have experimented with many mediums.  ..growing up in an art gallery/supply shop has it’s advantages. ;)

All media have their special aspects that are their forte.  ..some of which I find myself missing occasionally, like the consistency of buttery oils.   However, in my experiments with all of them, none lend themselves so well to the direction I have chosen to take my work as watercolors.

Raccoon in Progress

Raccoon in progress, watercolor on board, ©Rebecca Latham

1. I love the variety and vibrancy of colors.

Flipping open a catalog of paints, the variety of color range available is astonishing.  I have not found the truths behind why this is yet, but I enjoy them just the same.  ..the only dilemma is which to use on a given painting.  Pans, tubes, liquid.. naturals to glowing synthetics, opaque to clear transparent..   I even have sterling silver and gold available.

2. I love the forgiveness and ease.

I will be the first to admit.. I fuss, adjust, alter, and rearrange my work. It is just how the pieces progress. The vision of the painting begins as perfect, first stroke of brush to board is perfect, but it’s a struggle of varying degrees from then on.

Odd, I know, to consider watercolor forgiving.  But as I have worked with it over the years, it has.  I’m sure I’m not the only artist to feel that the medium I work in has to work with me, not against me.  It simply is not productive to the creation of art if I have to pit myself against my media.  If I need an additional challenge, other than dueling paint, I can always add complexity to the painting itself rather than fight the medium used to create it.

3. Reuse.

I can re-wet, and re-use, and in a sense recycle my palette after a painting session.

This was always a frustration when I worked in acrylics or oils.  When using other mediums, my palette of freshly squeezed paint dries out and at the end of the sitting, or sometimes before, is dried out and wasted..  Even using special palettes to store them between painting sessions (acrylics and similar), or tossing the oils in the freezer (which, incidentally, I as always concerned would wind up sticking to the frozen peas, etc.)

4. Prompt Drying.

When I have a new idea and plan for a painting that is spilling onto my board, unfortunate as it may be, I have little patience for the first layer to dry so the work can continue.  There is just something about the energy of momentum in that phase.  It is not impossible to work around drying, but it interrupts the flow of the piece.

So, given the choice, I prefer that the medium does not stand in the way of the way my work progresses.   I also have to admit that I dislike cleanup of brushes, palettes, etc.  A quick swish in a clean pot of water vs thorough cleansing or facing ruined tools.

5. History.

I have written about it earlier briefly, but I am very drawn to the history of painting this way.  All art forms have their own roots, part of what makes it all so fascinating, in my opinion.  Being someone that enjoys digging into facts of antiquity (art or otherwise), finding stories, meaning, and similarities in what was done or valued and how I have developed my work is intriguing to say the least.

 

Overall, I love watercolor simply because it suits what I enjoy doing, how I work, and my chosen style of painting.  It has been such a gift to find something that fits so well.